This was a busy week, full of sunshine, kids, and fun, alongside our regular load of hard work....
The week started with a bigt harvest day on Monday, getting everything out of the ground and into the cooler for CSA on Tuesday, then Wednesday we had our annual lake day, where we take the pizza and farm crew to the lake for a day of tubing, wakeboarding, and picnicking. It was a beautiful day for the lake, with clear skies, almost no wind, and very few other boats. This once-a-year event is a big thank you for all the crew who helps us get everything done out here on the farm, and is one way we build community off the farm.
Thursday, in addition to pizza night, which is an all-hands-on-deck sort of event, we harvested some for farmers market on Saturday, prepped some beds for planting, hosted a ladies garden club tour, farmwalked with the crew, and hosted a couple of researchers from Lincoln University, who are studying the impact of our farming practices on carbon levels in the soil.
Today we hosted a visit from 42 6th graders from the Springfield Public Schools' Agricultural Academy, who came out to get a tour, and helped us dig a row of sweet potatoes. While I toured the students, my crew diligently seeded, weeded, harvested, fixed irrigation, fertilized, and generally kept the farm moving forward.
Overall, it was a good week, full of beautiful weather, youthful energy, and so much accomplished. Hosting tours always takes a lot of energy, but also is really core to our mission of connecting people to the wonders of the amazing creation we live in, while teaching about the good work of raising food and flowers for our community. If you know a group who would like to come visit the farm, encourage them to reach out to us, and we'll get them on the calendar.
The fall vegetables are more abundant than ever, while the summer stuff is slower, but still out there. I hope you are enjoying the bounty, and that you have a wonderful weekend in this unexpectedly warm season.
Curtis and the crew.
